Having befriended my fair-share of Chinese expats, I find this article to be unsettling. It is hard to understand the expectation of children to care for their parents, despite a cultural denial of such responsibility. This indicates to me that the emerging generations of Chinese leaders will be responsible in their social policy, but it also signals a possible tipping point for Communist leaders left over from the previous generations, who now must successfully provide the institutional transition toward a true welfare state. If the remaining years under China's Fifth Generation go smoothly, I think the current leadership in Beijing will have solidified the Party's legitimacy in the eyes of the Chinese people, who will take great pride in the achievements of their children and grand-children and China's burgeoning international prestige. If the Communist Government is allowed to frame the West, specifically the United States, as acting so as to counter the growing wealth and prosperity with policies aimed at suppressing China's success, it may be able to stave off the brain-drain suffered in Europe and other parts of Asia once the people were exposed to the possibilities of political and economic stability and security in the United States. US policy-makers have so far taken a 'wait-and-see' approach to Chinese affairs, but as the once impoverished nation becomes a truly legitimate competitor we must become more aggressive in our public diplomacy within the western mainland of China- where the heart of the dragon lays.
No comments:
Post a Comment